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I have always been a fan of Winnie the Pooh stories.  Milne was a genius at Capturing the Beauty of Friendship in its simplest, purest form.  My father used to read Pooh stories to me, and for our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, my husband gifted me the complete collection in one volume. My grandfather, Mac, was so taken with the stories during one visit to my house that I bought him the same volume, which I later read to him on his deathbed in January of 2008. He would squeeze my hand and chuckle from time to time, and after the last story he faded away.

I say this to explain that I am Intimately Familiar with the original tales of Winnie the Pooh and the characters that comprise them.  In fact, I could even be considered an expert.  Although I have seen the newer versions of Pooh and have peripherally watched with my daughter the Super Sleuths cartoon on Disney, I’m not sure who Darby is or what she did with Christopher Robin. Because I am a Classic Pooh lover.
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While not a specific resolution kind of gal at New Year’s, I do decide on a theme for the coming year.  It functions more like a mindset than a hit-or-miss goal.  For example, rather than pledging to lose x number of pounds, in 2009 I decided simply to live healthier.  That started in January with regular exercise and buying organic where possible. In 3Q09, I cut high fructose corn syrup from my diet. In 4Q09, my “living healthier” barometer led me to a decision that resulted in dramatic stress reduction.

I remember only a few themes from the last 15 years.  “Get organized in 2005” stuck with me, and I recall shopping for attic-bound clear plastic tubs on 1/1/05.

This year my theme doesn’t have the advantage of approximate rhyme, but I figure if I “publish” it, perhaps it will benefit from greater longevity.  My 2010 theme is (drum roll please)… “Lighten Up. Smile More. Speak positively.” I will need your help with this, so please hold me accountable.

What revolution do you need in your life?  What mindset will serve as your barometer for the coming year?

The ocean has long been a solace for me, so I am extremely fortunate to have parents who live on the coast. Long walks on the beach bring me clarity that I don’t find elsewhere. It is by the water that I most feel the restorative presence of God.

I mentioned in a previous blog posting that my daughter and I recently discovered the Beachcomber’s Trifecta (star fish, sand dollar and conch).  But there was another treasure — a large, broken, worm-holed piece of a shell — that got my attention.  It was pretty ugly, really.  But what impressed me about it was how large the original shell must have been.  When I picked it up, I said aloud, “This was part of something greater.”

Part of something greater.  Isn’t that what we should all strive to be? At times, we may look at our own lives and feel beaten up, broken-down and worm-holed. Perhaps that’s because we are not supposed to be alone. We are part of something greater.  And it is only when those beaten up, broken-down worm-holed pieces join together that we are collectively what we were created to be… and we can together do what we were created to do.

What is the “something greater” that you are supposed to be a part of? Someone may be looking for you.

Carol Reeve, Girl on the Roof

A few nights ago I beat my daughter in a game of war (the entire deck of cards).  I was stunned because historically Ella wins games of chance against me (I only excel in games of  advanced skill and strategy, like the Dora Memory Game).  As a consolation, I laughed and said, “Hey, if I beat you at Candy Land, I should buy a lottery ticket.”  Twenty minutes later we were at the gas station selecting a $1 scratch-off card.  Yes, I suppose I contributed to the delinquency of a minor, but the two teenage girls at the register were too enamored by my daughter to have me arrested.  And hey!  I won $6!

During a walk on the beach this morning, Ella and  I achieved the Beachcomber’s Trifecta. We found a sand dollar, a starfish and a conch shell.  Neither was beach-store perfect, but they were all whole, and we were thrilled.

May your 2009 close with good fortune, too.  Family, friends and laughter.  Or perhaps a carpenter, a teenage mom and their baby in cloths.  Whatever your trifecta, embrace and celebrate it.

Carol, Girl on the Roof

Ok, so I was a Blackberry user for nearly 5 years.  I could literally type an email in the “flashest of flashes” (to quote Love Actually, one of my Top 5 favorite movies of all time).  And yes, though totally illegal and unspeakably dangerous, I could even type a very quick response while driving.  So naturally, when I released my corporate Blackberry back to its rightful owner (Scripps Networks), I immediately replaced it with the top-of-the-line Blackberry (a month later it no longer held that status, but bear with me for the sake of the story), which was the Bold 9000.  Great speakerphone, call clarity, unmatched screen resolution… I had done the research and had read the pros and cons lists for the Blackberry v. the iPhone.  But when it came down to it, I made the choice because it was what I knew.
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